Intercepting Tragedies Mort Rainey
by DiscordofMind
Summary: Ebony's brother is loosing his mind hightailing it from place to place wearing him to an unbelieavable thin until finally he can't quite deal with her. He leaves her in the care of Mort who is not too far from going mad over previous events he can't grasp
1. Drop Off

"Greetings Misses" the man stapling the doctrine to the small town shop outside his store said nodding politely once and giving a soft smile as Ebony walked by. She was a somewhat petite girl with very curvy soft features, with a small heart shaped face. She had rosy cheeks scattered with ginger freckles and had fair beautiful skin. She walked around in bright colors splattered on her old scuffed up converse shoes with her hair in a messy bun. Today she wore some loose patchy jeans and a thick cashmere sweater with a low V neck that revealed her tank top underneath. Ebony had a small button nose and soft almost red full lips and big owl like brilliant green eyes and soft copper hair flowing down to her mid waist in beautiful curls.

She sniffed a little and wiped her nose on a crumbled tissue from her pocket, grabbed a basket from beside the store door and walked up and down the aisles. She had come up here for a brief day or two with her brother who was in a frantic frenzy trying to escape events that were mysterious to Ebony. She and her brother had never been on comfortable terms for Sam had always been forced to take care of Ebony. Her mother had long since left and her father had passed on a couple years back.

Ebony had always been a strange child, and a complete handful. She talked in an eccentric fashion if she talked at all and wasted away her afternoons in the trunk of their truck just sitting there dreaming up the sky as she splattered paint all over the bed of her truck expressing everything she knew in a mesh of colors.

Than on other days she would build a waterproof canopy over the truck that was strapped down with rope wrapping around the truck bed to keep the canopy down. The roof was elevated by tall fence posts sturdily tapped down against the walls of the truck while in the night also served as places to hang her old fashioned very hazardous lanterns.

Ebony and Sam were always on the road ever since Sam had lost their parents house and Ebony in recuperation had claimed the trunk as her second home, painted floor and all. She had shoved a pillow in there and some layers of bubble wrap with some big fluffy fleece blankets serving as sufficient bed. In the back of her trunk she also kept a mediocre sized metal cage with two tiny albino mice named Clarissa and Sweeney which she fed every afternoon and sunrise.

Sam was already in his early thirties and still lacking a woman to settle down with and a family to take care of and sometimes he found that having to take care of his sister was well beyond what he was even slightly interested in doing. Ebony was 19 and a hazard to society and needed constant watching never really capable of living on her own for the trouble she always seemed to be causing because of her mental sickness.

The thing about Ebony was that even though she talked and thought like a normal person a good chunk of the time, she sometimes suffered episodes of emotional outbursts that could elevate to such extremes the only proper way to take care of it is to sedate her. But most of the time she was normal in an eccentric sort of way.

Today they had reached Tashmore Lake to meet an old colleague of Sam's for reasons her brother had failed yet to explain. She placed a can of Spaghetti-O's in her basket and some cereal and sighed as she walked over to the counter.

The lady scanned the two items and gave the girl a strange look at her odd choice of groceries.

"Is that all you'll be taking hun?"She asked and Ebony nodded while staring awkwardly at her and grabbed her plastic bag walking out of the store leaving the exact amount in change on the counter in the shape of a question mark.

She walked out to the truck to find her brother had returned from the bank and she smiled softly. She walked lightly over to the trunk and ducked under the thick canopy and left the groceries in there and walked around over to her seat. She strapped in and slipped off her flip flops putting her feet onto the dashboard.

"Hey Ebbs" Sam said glancing at her from the corner of his eyes nervously and Ebony looked at him a flat expression consuming her face as she came to realization. She could hear the anxiety snuffing out his voice causing it to shake slightly.

"Ebbs, I'm going away for a while and it's a certain type of situation where I'm incapable of taking you with me." He eased out cautiously unknowing as to how his sister would react. Her face froze over and she quickly looked away turning her body away from him.

"Who will I be staying with?" she asked coldly and he bit his lip.

"Morton Rainey." He said feeling the strangeness of saying the man's name after some 10 years.

The rest of the ride was bitterly quiet until they pulled into Mr. Rainey's yard their wheels crunching on the gravel and ice beneath. He got out of the car and walked around the truck opening the door for her and hating how she just sat glaring at him.

"You have offended my feelings." She said bitterly and stepped out casually keeping her chin up in the air while walking up to the porch as her brother pulled out her things and her rat cages.

He rushed over to her, his boots squelching in the snow and put aside the suitcases and cage. He quickly wrapped his sister with a large quilt and pulled her hat on top of her head and held her shoulders briefly.

"Stay warm alright munchkin." he said and then brought her into a brotherly hug his chin having been unshaven bristling on her cheek as she stood unresponsive.

He pulled away and quickly shuffled over to the door and knocked a couple of times. He jumped from foot to foot and rubbed his hands together. He ran his hand against his neck now waiting nervously for the door to open when suddenly in one big bust it swung quickly open and Mort stood in the door holding up a crow bar of some sort.

"Oh" he said looking confused and somewhat paranoid while he nervously swung the crow bar behind his back trying to conceal it.

"Sorry, thought you were a bear mister." He said laughing nervously and looking off to the side awkwardly. Mort's eyes flew across the two and back examining them both. The girl was considerably tiny giving the impression that she could be lifted up with one hand and be smashed into something and break every bone in her body. She had big searching eyes and lovely copper hair that was almost a deep crimson color. The man next to her was a big burly type of person with an unshaven worn out features with sunken in eyes looking as if he hadn't slept a wink in days.

"Listen, My names Sam Elliot, I went to college with you, remember me" he sputtered nervously taking a step forward while Mort just shook his head a little giving a drowsy but confused look and ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

Ebony looked at him up and down and gave her brother a you've-got-to-be-kidding look. Mort's hair was all over the place in messy tendrils and he wore a tattered bathrobe and his glasses were crooked on his nose. He leaned against the door and looked at them through half cracked open eyes still apparently drowsy form sleep.

"Oh, yeah, come inside" he said and opened the door for them to enter though still at a loss at who the man was standing on his porch. Sam grabbed the bags all in his arms while Mort picked up the cage giving it a skeptical look glaring down the rats before shuddering and walking in after his two guests.

He noisily placed the cage on his coffee table and stood awkwardly staring at the two.

"Erm, take a seat"

"no actually I'd like to speak to you privately" Sam said discretely making sure his sister who was now walking around the room inspecting Mr. Rainey's possession didn't hear. She stretched on the very tips of her toes trying to get a view over a high shelf while the two men slipped away into the kitchen.

"What exactly are we talking about here?"Morton asked massaging his chin.

"Mort, my sister needs care that I can't provide. Just for a little while, I'd come back for her in January no later than September." He pleaded now in a hushed tone while Morton choked on his breath.

"September, Jesus" he hissed clutching the counter.

"No, I can't do this. I-I can't do this right now. I just don't have the space and my wife just--"

"Please Mort, Mort, Mort" he repeated desperately now and grabbed his shoulder shaking Mr. Rainey and looking him in the eyes.

"Mort I'm stuck real bad right now. Fine! I'll be back before September I'll be back as soon as I can, but right now you have to take her off my hands." Sam pleaded desperately and fidgeted slightly running his hands through his hair ruffling it up a bit.

"Morton," he said gravely.

"Morton I lost my house, that car isn't even _mine_ Just do this for me, please, buy me some time to get a hold of the situation_"_ He snapped under his breath and turned quickly around holding his head his back to Morton who was deeply frowning now.

"Alright. " Mort exhaled and shook his head.

"You will!" he exclaimed greatly and turned around with a large elated look on his face as he let out a small laugh. "Great!!!'

He shuddered slightly as he searched all his pockets patting his shirt until he produced an old folded sheet of paper and shakily shoved it into Mort's hands.

"That's a list of things you've got to do for her, it'll all become clear with time… and" he jerked slightly when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and bit down on his finger. He mumbled a quick yeah and snapped the phone shut.

"Uh, I've-I've got to go now, Thanks so much Mort. You won't regret this." He said pointing at Mort and looked him in the eye as he fumbled out of the room and rushed over to his sister giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before rushing out the door.

The house was quiet as Morton and Ebony stood in the room both staring at each other an awkward tension in the air.

She walked over stiffly to the couch and sat down well aware of his eyes on her. She bounced up and down checking out the springs and looked around pulling her blanket closer to her.

"It's cold" she said and Morton cocked an eyebrow before shrugging it off.

"Heaters busted." He said simply.

"It's winter, you should fix it" she retorted before casually lying down to the side.

"Yes but I've got a fire place" he said sitting down in his armchair staring at her from the bridge of his nose as she shifted around on his couch.

"It's not on" She grumbled before bitterly turning around and burying her face in the cushions letting out a shuddering breath and fell quickly asleep, while Morton was forced to sleep in his bed for the first time in months.


	2. snow sled

Ebony didn't do much of anything for the next three days. She curled up on the couch buried deep within the many blankets she was wrapped in and stayed there unmoving a deep gloom hovering over. Mort would glance over at her cautiously every now and then until finally he noticed her hands were shaking and she bore an expressionless face staring blankly at the fabric of the couch. He didn't call the doctor until he discovered she was almost completely unresponsive other than burying her face further into the pillows.

"Um, Mr. Rainey" Dr. Riley said taking off his glasses and putting his clipboard aside.

"Sir, this isn't anything farther than sever separation anxiety"

"_Separation anxiety_" Morton hissed, "The kid hasn't eaten for three days or moved from that bloody couch"

"Yes, Mort I understand but perhaps if you'd just take a break from your work, take her out and let her see the sun, it'd be good for you too." he suggested uneasily and Mr. Rainey just nodded his head furrowing his brow and crossed his arms at his chest.

"And you're sure that's all." He said and the doctor nodded packing his things and soon after left leaving the cabin to its usual morbid sulking.

Morton let out an aggravated sigh and ran a hand through his hair and walked into the living room. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at her slumped figure. He tugged nervously at the collar of his shirt and shook his head slightly contemplating what to do when finally he let out an exasperated. He walked over to his coat rack and pulled on his coat. He knotted a scarf around his neck and finally pulled on his black beanie. Mort snatched his keys and fumbled over to the couch. He cautiously crouched down and gently nudged her on the back.

"I am going out. Would you like to come?" he asked a little skittishly. Ebony turned around to reveal red-rimmed eyes and a blotchy face. This took Mort a back his eyes widening ever so slightly causing him instinctively to reach out to her though he stopped himself half way through.

"I-I" he was at a loss of words as he stared at her shadowed eyes, chapped fading lips, and flushed skin. The fabric of the pillows had imprinted on her cheek and she had considerably lost weight even though only three days had elapsed. Now that he thought about it he hadn't seen her eat anything but little bits of bread.

"I think we should go sledding." He said nodding decisively settling upon the thought that he wouldn't take no for an answer. He stood up and looked around finding her bags in the exact same place where her brother had originally left them. He strode over to them confidently feeling her eyes on his back.

"You have any winter clothes in here?" he asked picking one up and bringing it over to the couch where he set it down on the coffee table. He sat down on the floor leaning his back on the couch while he scanned the piles of clothes.

He flipped the locks open with a click and scavenged through the pile of clothes. He pulled out a pair of jeans and some warm looking socks. He quickly grabbed the thickest sweatshirt he could find and turned around the clothes piled in his arm.

"C'mon" he said nodding over to the bathroom. She stared up at him quite blankly refusing to move. He stared down at her and put the clothes aside realizing the feat would not be so easily accomplished. He pursed his lips thinking of solutions when he came down to the crudest of all.

He bent down and slid his hands under her body blankets and all and hoisted her up bridal style.

"Sorry love, can't mope around in this house. Screws up the atmosphere and then I can't write." She stared up at him there faces too close for measure with the first actual expression on her face as he carried her over to the bathroom.

"Here take a shower, then we'll head out." He said setting her down on the counter and then brought her clothes over as she stared at him disbelievingly. He gave her a soft smile as he placed her clothes into her hands and turned around walking towards the door before stopping and turning around.

"Your brother's coming back Ebony, told me himself" he hushed out giving her a soft sort of look before closing the door behind him. Ebony did as she was told and shakily peeled off her clothes realizing how dirty and sticky she really was. Her hair was oily and came down in separate stringy locks and her face was surprisingly much older looking in a grayish color. She had huge bags under her eyes which were surrounded by purple skin. She looked away and walked over to the shower and slid the glass door open. She stared quizzically at the handles jutting out of the wall. She reached out and turned one on and jumped back to find the water coming out noisily. Ebony rarely took showers just because of the startling sound but instead took baths.

She jumped in and tolerated the cold water and scrubbed really quickly and barely shampooed her hair before quickly turning it off and jumped out wrapping herself in an old black bathrobe. She pulled it closely to her shivering body and pulled her hair out from underneath it.

She quickly got dressed and tossed aside the bathrobe and stepped out braiding her hair into one big clumpy braid off to the side coming down to her elbow. She walked out of the bathroom looking considerably better.

Mort walked her across the living room and paused slightly patting his pockets searching for his keys when he noticed her fingers shaking and her already blue lips.

"You're cold" he said and bit his lip "and wet"

He turned briskly around and grabbed one of his coats and wrapped it over her shoulder. He helped her get her hands through the sleeves which were much too long and rolled them up for her. He buttoned it closed and fixed the turtleneck collar not realizing how brotherly he was being. He pulled her wet braid out of the coat and stared at her up and down. The coat came past her knees and the turtle neck of it came all the way up to her nose and he laughed a little bit.

"Not quite your size" he chuckled out and opened the door letting her out first. He let the door slam closed behind him and turned around to quickly lock it. They walked out to the car Ebony only slipping once and fell hilariously on her rump. Mort smiled a little bit and walked up behind her and helped her stand up and held her steady from behind all the way to the car because of her suddenly wobbly legs.

"Maybe I'll take you out to lunch first in the town square." He mumbled to himself while starting the car.

They pulled into the restaurant thirty minutes later Ebony having slept the whole way. Mort gently shook her away and her eyes fluttered open as she stretched slightly and mumbled a little dreamily. He got out of the car and walked to her side pulling the door open for her and helped her out letting her hold onto his arm tightly as she was still unstable on the ice.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it." He said as they pulled the door to the restaurant open with a little bell ringing. The waiter sat them down and gave them menus from which they could order. Ebony held hers upside down and tapped her fingers nervously on the table. She kept glancing up over the rim of the booklet over at Mort and then back down.

"Do you know how to read?" he asked and she shook her head.

"My brother orders for me" she whispered in a reserved quite voice and he nodded and scanned down the Menu.

"Well today you can order for yourself, anything. Just look at the pictures." He said and minutes later she was pointing at a cheese cake with strawberries on top.

"Err, I guess you could have that, but don't you want a hamburger or something more like lunch?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Alright than"

After lunch Mort pulled her away from the town and drove her away to the sledding area and they sat in the little coffee shop and watched all the kids go down the hill. Ebony watched them all her head resting in the palm of her hand with her elbow on the table.

Mort looked from her expression to the hill of scampering little children and connected two and two.

He stood up and she looked up at him while he gave her the sign to sit and wait. He rushed away and walked back into the coffee shop and grabbed a cheap plastic two people sled and purchased it. He maneuvered his way back through a newly formed thicket of people back to Ebony.

She perked up and almost smiled when she saw what accompanied him. He grabbed her by the hand tugging her along up hill and placed it down on the snow and held it steady as she stepped into it and shimmed down to sit.

"Ready?" he asked and she clutched onto the rim of the sled her knuckles turning white.

"W-wait" she croaked when he began a running start. Mort stopped and looked at her arching his neck angling his head to get a good look at her.

"Alright we'll take it easy the first time around." He said and smiled before gently pushing her over the hill. She squealed and giggled all the way down and ended up swerving off to the side and crashed into a pole. She was thrown off onto the snow on her back her arms spread out. She stared up at the sky a little out of it as Mort stood stock still at the top of the hill waiting.

Ebony stood up after a long anticipated period of time and rubbed her butt a little and grabbed her sled. She ran all the way up a big grin on her face. She scrambled up to Mort and handed him the sled. He set it down and kept it from slipping as she clambered in and held on tight. This time she allowed him to run her off the hill and she screamed joyfully as she bounced from within the sled.

This pattern continued on until the last few runs when Ebony became exhausted from continuously climbing up the hill. She plopped down into her sled lying down splayed out her eyes closed. Mort walked over to her laughing and crouched down next to her. He fell into a strange trans-like state and really looked at her for the first time. Her nose and cheeks were rosy red from the cold and her lips were a purplish color which slightly worried him. In the snow her hair was the deepest color of crimson and looked almost like a blood rope coiling on the ground. Her lush black eyelashes brushed her cheeks softly and her nose crinkled a little bit. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled knowing that he had been staring at her, the thought made her happy.

"We should get you some hot chocolate." He offered and she nodded giggling. She grabbed his outstretched hand and smiled at its warmth. He helped her sit up grabbing her shoulder as well to keep her balanced and rubbed her back as her knees were conspicuously knocking together. Ebony sat just a little longer in the sled like this enjoying the warmth on her back until Mort smiled and patted her and stood.

"One last run shall we?" he asked and she grinned. She scooted forward and he sat down behind her and pulled her a little closer so she could tuck her feet in and they flew all the way down. Mort clutched at her waist feeling as if she would merely fly out of the sled if he were to let go. They went faster than anybody else on account of the weight and at the bottom their sled didn't come to a stop until the bottom of the sled grated onto the parking lot asphalt.

"Exhilarating" he gasped as he stood up and helped Ebony up out of the sled. He grabbed up the sled and the two went to get a cup of hot chocolate which they ended up drinking in the car with the heater on full blast.

The car was silent as Ebony sat curled up in her seat her pants and coat considerably wet. She sipped her steaming drink and pressed her forehead to the cold glass pane and stared at the lamp post above shinning in the dark.

"Where's your wife Mr. Rainey." Ebony murmured quietly. "You still wear her ring; you must still be in love if not anything else."

"Yeah, I loved her, but we were getting divorced." He said now looking down at the steering wheel as his fingers tapped it looking a little frustrated.

"It's funny how you said 'were'" she said simply and took another sip as she watched the snow spiraling around outside the car. She gulped it down appreciating the warmth and sadly curled closer into herself her face almost stone still and expressionless.

"Don't worry about it" he grumbled.

"Don't you miss her" she asked glancing at him for a brief second catching his eyes that were suddenly flaring rage.

"I said don't worry about it" he snapped quickly before firing up the engine and roughly pulling out of the driveway. Ebony was stunned to silence and simply looked away noting to not enter the subject in the future.

The drive home was quiet, the atmosphere in the car stiff and strained. Ebony wriggled in her seat on more than one occasion as Mort simmered down slightly.

Ebony fiddled with the rim of Mort's large black coat that she was wearing and sank into it bringing the turtleneck collar over the tip of her nose. She took in the soft sent coming from it that she imagined Mort to smell like and closed her eyes feeling suddenly overwhelmed with bitter rejection. She sunk farther into the coat until the cloth brushed the tips of her ears and exhaled through her nose.

The car came to a slow stop. Morton sighed dropping his hands from the wheel and leaned back against the seat. He ran his hand through his hair and brought it down over his face realizing that it was a wild fantasy for him to be able to take care of an actual human being other than himself.

"Are you mad?" She asked in a small childish voice.

"No," he breathed out and shoved his car door open and walked out onto his frozen over yard. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels looking up at the sky trying to get a hold of his temper because suddenly there were pictures of his beautiful wife in the arms of another man. There were streams of his beautiful house burning down to ashes.

He let out a curdling shout straining his vocal cords and kicked up the dirt punching the air his jacket flapping through the air.

"God damn it" he cursed before walking over to his car and slammed the door closed. He circled around the car while Ebony flinched suddenly scared of what he might do. He stalked up to the door in quick brisk steps and grabbed the handle attempting to tug the door open but his fingers clumsily slipped. He clenched his teeth together and tried again swinging it open causing Ebony to jump back staring up at him timidly.

He clutched at the side of the car his knuckle turning white the veins in his arms bulging a little. Ebony didn't know what to think for his eyes were ablaze with the wildest rage until finally he let out the breath he was holding. He blinked a little and relaxed his jaw unknotting his muscles in his neck and shoulders.

"I'm sorry" he mumbled a little dazed and released his death hold backing away letting his arm flop down to his side.

"I am, really sorry" he said and caught sight of her tense body, her widened eyes, and her flushed face. He could see the fear splayed out on her face and watched her try to distance the space between them.

"No, don't do that. I wouldn't hurt you." He said and walked over to her and grabbed her by the hand making sure to be gentle and pulled her out of the truck. He leaned around her to close the door behind her and for brief moments stopped in front of her watching her air fog out of her mouth fanning on his cheeks. He stared softly at her lush lips and almost started thinking about certain other thoughts. He quickly pulled back however and led her to the porch where he unlocked the front door and let them in.

Ebony crashed down on the couch and buried herself under layers of the cold crumbled blankets and wriggled around a little trying to find a good position while Mort shuffled over to the fire place and tossed some logs inside. He quickly poured kerosene and soon after flung a lit match inside watching the fire start. He stood up and pushed his hair back catching sight of Ebony's brilliant rich green brown eyes with the fire reflecting inside them.

He walked over and pushed the coffee table away and stole away some blankets and laid them down on the floor all the while Ebony stared at him intently with curiosity. He borrowed a pillow and dropped it down parallel to Ebony's head on the floor and grabbed the remote.

"What movie would you like to watch?" he asked while Ebony stared at him quietly.

"I don't really have quite a selection but, I've got what I've got." He said as he brought over a stack of DVD's. Together they went through them Morton having to explain or briefly summarize all the movies until finally they settled on Peter Pan. Morton didn't really voice his opinion on the video of choice.

About an hour into the movie Ebony was fast asleep and breathing lightly. Morton glanced up from his position on the floor and scratched his cheek running his fingers over his upper lip as he thought. She was peaceful as she slept but there were traces of a pained expression in her eyebrows and lips; the way she scrunched up her nose every now and then.

He turned on his side and felt the crinkling of the paper her brother had given him in his pocket. He had felt it burning in his pocket all day but for some inexplicable reason he felt apprehension. He tapped his fingers on the floor a little bit and cocked his head up a looking over his shoulder to make sure Ebony was still sleeping and pulled out the paper.

He unfolded it and squinted through the dim flickering light to read the scribbles before suddenly turning away and folding it back up. He sat up on his elbow and reached over quickly shoving it under a whole bunch of magazines in the drawer attached to the coffee table. He shoved it closed and grunted slightly as he turned back on his back and stared up at the wooden roof.

_Why didn't you read it?_

Morton closed his eyes and wriggled down under the covers and quickly drifted into sleep with Peter Pan still playing on the screen.


	3. shoppers

The next morning Mort woke up groggy and sore. His muscles cramped and his voice gurgled incoherently within his throat. His head throbbed every few seconds and his body was held hostage in entangled blankets. The floor beneath him had chilled to a frozen degree through the night. His throat was dry and his lips where chapped and split in places. He opened his eyes reluctantly to come face to face with Ebony. Her face was a foot from his peering wide eyed at him. She was crouched over him a look of innocence ruling her face. She scratched her cheek endlessly staring at him with her big brilliant green eyes.

He heaved up to a sitting position and pulled the covers away. He looked up falling victim to her intent gaze. Her button nose wrinkled slightly as she sniffled. This morning her hair was tussled slightly hanging around her shoulders in thick chunky ringlets. She had on a loose dark brown rust colored beanie that drooped at the end. Her sky blue shirt was two sizes too big and drooped carelessly off her right shoulder. She wore no pants only colorfully striped leggings and jumbo sized grey socks. The sight of her honestly warmed his heart. She was so innocently childish.

"There's a man at the door" she said impassively. He stood up and tugged his t shirt back into the right position. He ruffled a hand through his tussled hair and lazily walked to the door. He opened and it leaned against the door frame letting it bare his weight. There was a tall man made up of pure bulk standing intrusively on his porch. He was deathly pale with a sallow face. His eyes lay deep inside his skull an ashen color heavily scrutinized him.

"You Morton Rainey?" he asked. Mort nodded his head slowly and cautiously in reply.

"Got a message from the little misses' brother, for you." He cocked both eyes up in surprise and stepped outside shutting the door behind him. The man patted around his thick coat several times before pulling out a fat bundled envelope. He straightened out the edges and placed it in Mort's hand. Mort looked down and flexed the package her and there frowning.

"What is this?"

"Paycheck. 'S for the little lady." He said nodding. "For you to spend of course."

Mort squinted up at him unsure of what to do.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. Of course" the man said nodding with a grim look about his face.

"Is that all?" mort asked the package suspiciously heavy in his hand.

"No. I'm here to relay that if something goes wrong or if something strange were to happen you should immediately contact me. Don't try to restrain the situation yourself, you might hurt her unduly." The man said and tugged out his wallet quickly pulling out a card handing it to Mort. On the card were two numbers scribbled as well as an address.

"What exactly are we talking about here?"

"The little lady has nightly tremors. You see years ago her parents house burned to the ground, with them inside of course. They were strapped down to the bed with car cables. The man that did it was charged with first degree murder and was sentenced to death. Didn't matter to Ebbs whether he was in jail or not, she lost her mind any way. The poor girl wasn't ever the same again." He said tapping his temple. Mort stared at the man grimly. He glanced down at the envelope and tucked it inside his coat.

"What's your name mister?" Mort asked and the man grinned his mouth slightly lopsided. He shoved a hand out and shook Mort's in a tight calloused grasp.

"The names Gray Tolly I'll be seeing you around Mr. Rainey" and with that the man left.

Mort walked back inside and sighed heavily. Ebony's head popped up from behind the couch from where she was sitting and presented him with a cheeky smile.

"Who was that?"

"His names Gray Tolly." He muttered taking out the envelope. He tossed it carelessly down on the counter and walked away to the fridge. He pulled out a soda and turned around to find Ebony was picking it up daintily with two fingers. She was holding it above her head and eyeing it carefully like it was an untrustworthy contamination.

"What's this?" Ebony asked flopping it around in the air.

"Its money." He said taking a sip as he unknowingly watched her in amusement.

"What for?" she asked probing it around with her fingers.

"Uhhh, you know clothes for you." He said and went to take another sip from his soda poorly unaware of Ebony's next reaction. She had scrambled over to him and thrown all her weight onto him. She squashed him against the counter holding him in a clenching grasp leaving him sputtering over his drink. She laughed jumping up and down completely oblivious to Mort's expression. He looked down at the top of her head glaring slightly as she buried her face into his shoulder. She looked up and gave him a huge grin before letting go and scrambling over to grab her fluffy slippers

"This is soo great. Let's go"

"We can't just _go_" He said in utter shock.

"Why not?"

"Because….erm… because" But his reasoning had been blown away. He sagged his shoulders and gave in. He found himself tugging on his shoes and pulling on his jacket. He grabbed his black coat and helped Ebony get it on. He adjusted the collar so that it would keep her neck warm and pulled her hat down slightly to cover her ears. She gave him another one of those cheeky smiles and headed out the door.

Mort followed closely behind pausing only to lock the door. He slammed the door shut as he sat down and glanced over at Ebony. She was clicking her seatbelt into place and as she looked down her eyelashes softly brushed her rosy cheeks. She looked up and smiled softly at him. He started the car and sped away.

The Hawthorne mall at this time of the year was filled with thick masses of human beings. Music echoed from all about meshing in with the murmur and echoes of the people around. Stores were jam packed and the food courts had no empty tables left. There was a Santa Clause in the center plaza with a long line of children stretching back past three multimillion dollar department stores. The lines in every store were long in every direction. There fake snow displays in the jewelry stores and elves were stationed as cashiers. And all this for some incomprehensible reason Ebony absolutely loved. Mort on the other hand found it somewhat over done. He didn't appreciate the people that rushed by and jammed their shoulders and bags into him. Ebony giggled every time.

"You enjoy this?" he asked somewhat grumpily.

"What's not to like?" she asked peering over at him before her attention was distracted by a giant Teddy bear display. Her mouth hung open and her eyes bugged out. She walked towards the window somewhat zombyfied.

"You're kidding. That thing is twice your size. You couldn't possibly want it" Mort said but a second glance at her proved him wrong. Both her hands were pressed against the glass and her breath was fogging up the window.

"There's no where to put it" he said trying to discourage her but she wouldn't be persuaded.

"It wouldn't fit in our car. Look at it, its jumbo sized." He said pointing trying to get Ebony to face the insanity of the situation.

"Look! His fur is all messed up right there." He said pointing at his foot but she didn't pay any attention to him. She stared yearningly at the display. She furrowed her brow sadly before sighing.

She closed her gaping mouth and turned to face him.

"No, you're absolutely right. Let's go." She said and looped her arm around his squeezing it lightly before she dragged him away.

Five stores later they sat cramped together on the only available bench with one bag in hand. Turns out, Ebony is quiet the picky shopper despite her unreserved excitement. She bought a pair of lean tall plaid-orientated boots for the snow. They were mostly teal and came up to her knees. They had a thick fleece lining all on the inside for comfort and had a flat sole for she was incapable of walking in heels. She was wearing them now over her leggings. She also bought a mustard colored jacket with a toggle button closure. It came down to her mid thigh and came accompanied with a large turtle neck. She refused to wear this out of the store because she liked wearing Mort's jacket better. At the time he had given her a look of disbelief but accepted it, now he kept thinking about it as silly as it was.

Ebony sat quietly shoulder to shoulder next to Mort nibbling on a large salt baked pretzel that Mort had bought for her. Because of the benches minute size the wooden arms of the bench where digging into his side. He adjusted his position shuffling around with the bag in his hand. They knocked elbows and clambered around until both were satisfied with their position.

Ebony looked over at him and puffed out a sigh.

"I'm tired" she said and leaned back. She rested her head against the wall behind them and closed her eyes. Mort stared at her. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy matching the tip of her nose. She looked at peace. In fact she looked soft and...

Mort looked away and down at his watch. They had been there for three hours.

"My feet hurt." She mumbled not bothering to open her eyes. His eyes were drawn back to her. The perfect curvature of her eyebrows, the slight pucker of her lips. She was so…

"We should probably go home" he coughed out. Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him another one of those soft smiles that created dimples in her left cheek.

"Sure" she said and fumbled to her feet. They slowly made their way back to the parking lot. Ebony clambered into the car and curled up quietly. She shrank within his jacket cuddling into the interior.

The drive home put Ebony to sleep. Mort sagged against the wheel slightly and tapped it with his thumb. He lost himself in the stoplights. He stared and stared with a mixture of feeling ruling the crevice within his chest. He pressed his lips together as he drove a nervous habit. He adjusted his glasses. No matter what physical movement he made he couldn't get the urge out of his body. She murmured in her sleep. She leaned against the window seat. She was a tiny ball.

He pulled into the drive way and killed the ignition. The dark took hold of him. The silence made everything so easy. He clenched the wheel and stood stiff in his seat. He didn't move or look away from the single fleck that he had chosen on the windshield. He waited for her to wake on her own for fear of coming into contact with her.

She eventually did wake up. She eventually squinted at him through the dark and called out his name. He relaxed and let the air out of his chest. Her voice helped ground him down to reality. Her voice pulled his body away from the overwhelming feeling inhabiting his mind.

"Yeah?" he rasped out.

"Are we home?" she asked

"Yeah." He said again through a clearer voice and more than quickly got out of the car. Ebony followed sleepily behind.

"You know, I like your house. Its better then my brothers truck" she mumbled under her breath. Mort simply listened to her talking as he struggled with the door. He couldn't concentrate. She was breathing on his shoulder.

He let them in and made sure to leave a five foot distance between her and himself. He flicked on the lights immediately. The dark was too... available.

He led her up stairs to an available bed. She plopped down onto the bed grabbing a pillow to snuggle into. He sighed. He walked over while running a hand through his hair tugging at it in defeat. He struggled to turn her body over. She groaned and whined but he ignored her. He gently grabbed a leg and tugged off a boot. He grabbed the other and repeated the action. He placed them down by the bed. Next he pulled off her jacket with a great amount of effort his ears unimaginably on fire. He pulled off her hat and rolled her under the covers. He left turning off the light. He went to bed and slept restlessly. He woke up early that night before the sun even rose in the sky. He couldn't go back to sleep. Instead he stared at the ceiling and followed the wooden tiles.


End file.
